Pubdate: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 Source: Montgomery Advertiser (AL) Copyright: 2005 The Advertiser Co. Contact: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/customerservice/letter.htm Website: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1088 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Note: Letters from the newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority MEDICAL USAGE DIFFICULT ISSUE The medical use of marijuana is a ticklish subject in a state with notoriously harsh drug laws. Surely, however, there is a strong case to be made for taking the side of compassion and allowing closely regulated use of marijuana for medical purposes rather than rigidly making its use and possession a crime in all cases. There is plenty of medical evidence that some maladies, involving some that involve chronic pain, respond better to marijuana than to conventional pharmaceuticals. There is also plenty of concern that allowing the medical use of marijuana would undercut the anti-drug messages aimed at youth. "If the medical community makes a statement that this should be used to treat a certain illness, then that gives credibility to a drug that is mind-altering and would be abused," said Dr. Marsha Raulerson, president of the Alabama chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Others in the medical community contend the benefits to patients outweigh any such risks. Dr. Michael Saag, professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and director of the AIDS center there, says the blanket ban on marijuana use is "anachronistic" and reflects a century-old view of marijuana as having no possible useful purpose. There are some obvious concerns with creating a lawful use for an unlawful substance, but House Bill 703 by Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, appears to address them in a responsible manner. It would allow medical use of marijuana upon diagnosis by a doctor "in the course of a bona fide physician-patient relationship" that the patient has "a debilitating medical condition and the potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the qualifying patient." The Department of Public Health would issue an identification card for the qualifying patient. Concerns about possible abuse cannot be discounted. At the same time, it is hard to argue against alleviating the suffering of people for whom conventional pharmaceuticals are not effective. Striking the balance between compassion and proper protection from criminal drug activity is a tricky challenge. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager